Bogeys and trophies

I have a very, very important meeting today at Centennial Golf Club in Carmel . So I won’t be around much, if at all, until later. Wonderful, wonderful place for a meeting. I’m going to channel my inner Graeme McDowell. Or maybe my inner Dustin Johnson.

As you know, tonight is the NHL awards show. As you also know, I’m not hyping it because I object to the location and some of the involved, ahem, celebrities. Not to mention the network televising it.

So I’m not going to talk about it.

But if you need a reminder of which players are finalists for the major awards (all voted upon before the playoffs, mind you), click here.

So the cap situation is a bit better for the next season. It looks like it’ll be around $58.8 mil. Plus, by exercising the option to extend the labor agreement, the cap will also allow for a 7.5-percent bonus cushion to cover bonus payments on Entry Level and over-35 contracts. We can only hope it’ll be used properly by our management. And signing Demitra or Kariya or anyone else older than 35 wouldn’t qualify for proper use imo.

It really is a shame that Kariya never stayed healthy enough to achieve his full potential. He’s not going to get anywhere close to what he was making (nor should he).

Yes, it’s a big day for US soccer but for the fringe sports, and I’d include hockey as a fringe sport, unless the US team wins the World Cup I doubt anyone but soccer diehards will talk about it for anything more than a year even if they made it to the quarters or semis. I’m excited and hope they win and maybe win a match or two in the knockout stage, but 4 years from now the casual fan would be hard pressed to name more than 1 or 2 players from this year’s US squad even if they advance today.

Tank, Rangers only win the award when they’re ex-Rangers or before they become Rangers.

I think the best chance is to amputate Redden’s left leg, put a skate on the remaining foot, and let him play a few games and maybe we can put a Masterton on our shelf. Might also improve Redden’s game because then he won’t be able to chase the puck behind the net anymore.

One of the most dramatic goals I’ve ever seen in any sport. On my personal list (which admittedly doesn’t count for anything) it’s not quite as high as Matteau! Matteau! Matteau! or Parise’s goal this year in the Olympics but wow did that get everyone in my office jumping up and down, and I work in a very buttoned up environment.

if they trade Gabby, and do not sign Kovalchuk, or Marleau, who exactly is going to score the goals? the way the NHL is today, you need more than one star player to be contenders. A team with an ELITE goalie, 12 third/fourth line players, and a soft D, is not going to cut it.
we just watched that show last season.

I’m not saying they should trade Gabby, all I’m saying is that they shouldn’t sign any player available. Gabby said he “expects changes to happen”, but if they don’t, and he doesn’t like it, then he should ask for a trade.

Gabby doesn’t call the shots. He might score a lot of goals, but clearly he has *NO* heart, and is another one of the players that thinks aboot money first, and anything else second.

This isn’t opinion, this is fact, and he proved it. So, nobody get all whiny aboot how I feel aboot the guy.

Tyree,
I would stay away from the Russians this year, to many questions about them. I like Connolly a lot, and there is a center named Ryan Johansen who could be the guy.
ORR, when did Gabby not show heart. he is the first free agent they have signed that has produced. also I have seen you mention tanking the season lately, but you would not be willing to trade Hank. with Hank they will never be bad enough to get the picks you want/ in order to tank, Hank would have to go.

Ryan Johansen could fall all the way down to 9-10, he would be a perfect pick. If not, McIrlath or Conolly. You take the best available, your team’s needs will change anyway by the time these guys are ready for NHL.

Bull dog- there yo go on Johansen! Agree- size, speed and skills.
Gaborik produced exactly as he was expected to. Can not blame him for anything. And I expect him to continue. Yes, Olympics didn’t help, but injuries happen anyway. He needs some help.

Tarasenko is amazingly skilled and has grit. one of the most pure scorers in the draft and could fit beautiflly on a russian line of Anisimov, Gratchev and Taresenko. The tag line. also with Stepan , Krieder, Gabby and a third line of Dubi, Cally and Weise , 4th line Byers, Prust and whoever. I like that future line up

Gabby doesn’t call the shots. He might score a lot of goals, but clearly he has NO heart, and is another one of the players that thinks aboot money first, and anything else second.
This isn’t opinion, this is fact, and he proved it. So, nobody get all whiny aboot how I feel aboot the guy.
***

Er, the guy was involved in almost 40% of the goals the team scored last season. There were many games where he was the only Ranger to create anything on offense. He got his big contract before the season, so I hardly think he was loafing it for an entire season and put up better than a point per game.

And isn’t this the same guy you were bashing for playing injured for Slovakia in the Olympics? Where he wasn’t getting paid to do so.

I think you’re taking one game, out of 82, along with propagating the comments of a coach that doesn’t always think before he has an outburst and using that to define a player that was as valuable as almost anyone in the NHL last year.

And the purpose was because if he won the Hart, it would have extended his contract 1 more year with the Rangers. Dont think that the media or those that vote on NHL awards didnt know what they were doing.

Here it comes- a fresh, right from the oven, new conspiracy theory…CR- you never fail to amaze.

Speaking has never been Torts’ forte. It gets even worse when he fails to think it through in advance. That line about Gaborik after the last game was out of line. If you are the only reliable scorer on the team, it’s pretty easy for the opposition to shut you down. Especially if you can put out Pronger and Timonnen on two different shifts. Gaborik won us plenty of games.

We needed Gabby down the stretch, and he chose to play injured in the Olympics for his brash*tty team that couldn’t even get a medal, and because of wasting his time there, he hurt himself even more, and was almost useless down the stretch. Then game 82 came along and he did absolutely nothing. Probably still whining and crying aboot the failure Slovakia was in the Olympics.

He needs to score goals, show up, and shut up.

As for having a losing season, yeah, it’s what I want, but I do agree that it is nearly impossible if Hank is on his game all season long, unless he gets injured.

We all loved rooting for Chicago because they were a ridiculously deep team loaded with toughness and talent. Who cares that their goalie was unproven, it didn’t matter. Every player on that team was capable of doing what was necessary to win hockey games.

If it weren’t for Hank and Gaborik I doubt the Rangers would have won more than 5 games all last season.

Bottom line is we need a center and a couple new guys who can score more than 20 goals apiece. Oh and a physical presence on D that isn’t of the lazy, overpaid variety (hence my trepidation re: Volchenkov- I feel he’ll be Kalinin #2 – did you see his “performance” in the Olympics for Russia?)

He scored 10 points in the final 10 games. He was instrumental in their win in game 81 of the season. With better players the team wouldn’t have needed to play do or die hockey for the last dozen or so games of the season, let alone the last game of the season where his coach chose not to use him with the season on the line in the shootout.

ilb – Sorry. I have put that same thing down on here in the past. So it was just a reheated conspiracy out of the oven! :) Wont happen again.

This match is unbelievable! Isner looks dead, while Mahut looks raring to go, dancing around. Yet Isner keeps fighting. I am tired just watching this. Great performance from the US and England to move on today.

Hawks trade Byfuglien, Eager, Sopel and prospect to Thrashers for 1st-round pick (the one they got from the Devs), a 2nd-round pick, prospect Jeremy Morin and M. Reasoner. Confirmed deal per Pierre Lebrun’s Twitter.

Fire Sather anyone? Nowhere to be found when we could have gotten Byfuglien…….

“It’s like a house of cards, someone makes a deal then someone else makes a deal, so it’s kind of hard to predict what’s going to happen (with free agency),” said Sather. “You have to look at the market and see who’s got the money, who’s got the (salary cap) space. And you see teams making some big trades the past few days that takes some of them out of the free agent market. But you know there are going to be some players out there that we’ll have the chance to sign.”

i’m not going on the major conspiracy bus as cr
but
i do think that Jagr was rooked that year
and
deserved it over Thornton who went from a struggling boston team to a talented one in san jose
so, of course, his stats and stature went up after the trade.

the only bias i wonder about is that thornton is canadian while Jagr is not
or
you could just go with the idea that mike milbury broke into the voting envelopes and changed the votes due to his unbridled hatred of Jaromir!!

“Sather defers to Gordie Clark, the Rangers Director, Player Personnel, when it comes to the draft. Saying that he “trusts his staff”, Sather presides over the draft day table, but allows Clark to make the decision as to who will be drafted by the Rangers.”

I still love ya Carp! Just to clarify, those 2 writers from every city didnt have to conspire, it’s naturally ingrained to hate NY. I dont want to continue this any further. I have gotten my act together on here, and wish to remain sane.

No, no conspiracy theories. Just a bad decision. In fairness, San Jose was 8-12-4 and riding a 10 game winless streak (0-7-3) before they got Thornton and 36-15-7 with him, including an immediate 6 game winning streak. They also finished their season with an 8 game winning streak (although they lost the last game of the season). He also turned Cheechoo into the Rocket Richard winner.

The Rangers, meanwhile, finished their season on a 5 game losing streak and had a 6 game losing streak coming out of the Olympic break. Jagr did not finish strongly after getting rocked by Ruutu. That probably weighed into the decisions of some of the voters.

How many guys on NYR can half ass it during the year, and still manage to score 25-30 goals, 70-90 points? Then he would turn his game up in the final stretch of the season, and actually show up for the playoffs.

Just looked over the numbers from that trade. Great deal for Chicago in clearing space. Almost 4 million cleared on that deal. Plus the return was pretty good, a 1st, a 2nd, and a very solid prospect (Reasoner is worthless).

I think Atlanta overpaid here to get a guy that had a couple of good games in the playoffs. I don’t think Byfuglien is worth that much at all. The guy still hasn’t scored 20 goals. I don’t think he scores 30 more than once in his career.

i doubt its a chance on a guy like byfuglien. 6-5 and 250 with a mean steak. he can score 10 goals next season and still produce more than the 10th pick in the draft. i guess 11 playoffs goals mean nothing?

ORR – it’s known that Ottawa wanted Dubinsky in the package for Heatley but Sather either refused to offer him or insisted they take Rozsival and that’s why he went to SJ.

I’d offer Ottawa Dubinsky, Girardi, and the 10th overall pick in 2010 for Spezza and the negotiation rights to Volchenkov. I doubt they’d get more for him from anyone else. If they took Gilroy instead of Girardi, even better. Staal is the keeper, Girardi is not.

If Sather stands pat this summer, I’ll be much happier than if he went after a big name. Honestly, the best moves I would want to see him make are Redden in Hartford, and Rozsi for anything. A low budget team might have interest in his 5 million cap hit but 4 and 3 million salaries for this year and next.

Nashville, here’s looking at you, especially since he wouldn’t be expected to be more than a 2nd pairing guy there. He’s also a veteran to pair with one of their younger studs and could be sold to fans as a replacement for Hamhuis.

BIG BUFF is a big body with an good shot. He dominated untill he ran into Pronger .The guy is a Dustin Penner and a trip to the cup proves that ya get the payday if ya take yer team far and ultimatly win the cup. His chemistry will be LARGELY missed and now teams like Vancouver will be ble to run over them next playoffs. Trading BUFF will hurt Atlanta ( cuz really he sucks) and hurt Chicago ( the big cog ).

ORR , yer just homesick and miss our boys. I know ya dont mean it. Why are ya here…to talk to us guys!!??? NOPE ,yer here to vent yer grievences on how we lost in game eight frickin two in a shoot -out. Come here my bro..gimme a big ol Ranger hug!!! You too Cr9 lets all hug!!!!!!!

How many games do we play against Atlanta next season? I wonder how long will it take for people on this board (and for Big Buff lovers around Rangers community) to hate the guy after he runs Hank a few time and turns into a real Rangers killer?

ORR maybe yer right about his shot but he did knock in a few goals. Chicago got weaker and smaller . Chicago wins the cup and trades away its “cog” ? talk about stuiped managment. Ya win the cup ,dont ya try to resign one or yer most important pieces? BIG BUFF walked over teams and everyone noticed. Chicago management is weak. If it wasnt for them being losers and getting Kane and Toews that franchice would be still waiting on the cup. I like seeing them win but they are no better garbage then the scum sucking penguins.

Id accept it if Sather got Spezzzza and he ditched Dubi..i’d live with it. Do I have a choice? No .Would I do that trade..yes.

In my opinion this trade doesn’t change a thing for the Hawks. Offensively, they’re pretty much the same. They replace a physical forward with a defensive forward.

I don’t know why you think it’s a bad move. Trading Buff was great, cause now that they shed Buff, Sopel, and Eagers salary, they can keep Versteeg, Sharp, and the more important guys. They are more important than Buff by far.

So- Big Buf is gone! It’s a shame but SOMEONE was going no matter what. At least they got some Cap relief, swapped it out for draft picks. Hopefully some good young Black Hawks will come of it. I didn’t expect Sather to get involved, he can’t absorb any Cap dollars himself. Although that #10 pick would have been nice for Chicago.

I am sure you will see this post so I will answer you as to why I would move up to draft a guy like Fowler. I only comment on players I have watched play personally. I’ve have yet to see Gudbranson play. But from what I’ve read, he is a slightly more physical version of Marc Staal. That may not be a bad thing but in my opinion, Not worth the third or fourth pick in a draft. You are advocating for Mcilrath who is nothing more than a tough stay at home damn which is again not a bad thing but also not worthy of a high draft choice. In Cam Fowler, you have a franchise defensman who is big, is a great skater, and will be the other offensive threat from the back end that every team needs. His physical game is very underrated at least from the wjc games that I watched. This kid beat the crap out of the Canadian team in both games. He also plays big time in big time games. Watch him in the finals of the wjc and the amount of minutes he logged. He is also NHL ready and we should be so luckynas to get this kid. The tough kids like Tinordi can be had in the second round.

In closing, I just want to add that although you said you were not picking on me,(even though you were) I think we must raise the level of discourse when we debate about our favorite team.

You want to get rid of your 1.7 million 20 goal scorer? He was tied for second on the Rangers in goals. I bet the Black Hawks will trade you Marty Reasoner for Dubinsky. at 1.2 million, you would save some Cap space, too.

i do want to be rid of him but not for no value in return. just like some here overhype him there are probably a few nhl gms that would do the same. just like the gomez deal we just need to find one suc*er

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